COMPARISON OF A QUADROMA AND ITS PARENT HYBRIDOMAS IN FED-BATCH CULTURE

A quadroma (#22 X 63), formed by the fusion of two hybridomas, and its parent hybridomas (#22 and FMC 63) were each grown in fed batch cultu res in order to examine the change in antibody productivity over time of the quadroma compared to its parent hybridomas. The growth rate, gl ucose uptake rate and lactate production rate of the quadroma were fou nd to be intermediate between those of its parent cells of origin. The specific antibody productivity and internal antibody content of the q uadroma followed the same decreasing trends over time as those seen in both parent hybridomas. Losses in specific antibody production rate a nd antibody content, however, occurred at a faster rate for the quadro ma than for either of its parent hybridomas. Although the growth of a non-producing subpopulation is presumed to account for the drop in ant ibody production, there was no direct correlation between the percenta ge of high antibody containing cells, as determined by flow cytometry, and the specific antibody production rate.